The strategy was basic -- win the pole, stay out front and win the race with the strongest car, and Busch did an admirable job in every category. He dusted the rest of the field at the venerable track in the South Carolina sandhills, pulling away to win the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 by .935 over Elliott Sadler, who recovered from an early spin to finish second.

Brian Vickers came home third, followed by Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth. With cars in first, second, third and fifth, Joe Gibbs Racing became the first organization to place four cars in the top five of a Nationwide Series race.

Miles: IMS improvements key to fan funIt's back to business at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Saturday is opening day. This year, opening day comes after state lawmakers passed a bill that lets the owners of the speedway use millions of tax dollars to make improvements.

May and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are an icon of auto racing. But putting people in the seats for the biggest spectacle in racing has become a much tougher sell over the years.

"There's a lot we need to do to have it keep pace with the best entertainment venues in the country," says Mark Miles, CEO of Hulman Co., owners of the track.

Menard plans to stay with ChildressPaul Menard says he is "close" to re-signing with Richard Childress Racing. Menard said he's "looking forward" to making an announcement soon that he will remain in the #27 Menard's Chevy. Menard, 32, is currently ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings. He's remained in the top 10 for seven of 10 weeks this season and earned three consecutive top-10 finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway earlier this year. Since Menard and crew chief Slugger Labbe joined RCR as a package deal in 2011, the driver has experienced the best three seasons of his Cup career, a stretch that includes a victory at the Brickyard 400. In 2012, Menard finished a career-high 16th in the points standings with an average finish of 15.5. Labbe signed an extension two weeks ago. His contract runs through 2016. Fox Sports

Indiana Governor to cut Indy Speedway 'gift money' (2nd Update)UPDATE #2 That political donation must have come through. Governor Mike Pence has signed legislation that will finance improvements at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The bill authorizes the Indiana Finance Authority to issue $100 million in bonds to fund improvements at IMS and create a Motorsports Improvement Fund for loans to businesses in the motorsports industry across the state.

"The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has contributed to the life of our state for more than a century, enhancing the global reputation of Indiana," said Pence. "The legislation I signed today makes a state investment that will further economic development in the motorsports industry while also protecting the interests of Hoosier taxpayers."

Practice opens Saturday for 97th Indy 500Opening Day for the 97th Indianapolis 500 on Saturday, May 11 will feature the stars of the IZOD IndyCar Series on the track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while the infield showcases a magnificent display of classic/vintage and alternative-energy vehicles at the third annual IMS Celebration of Automobiles.

Public gates open at 10 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults, with fans 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

Sao Paolo, Brazil IndyCar TV ratingDespite a fantastic race, the IndyCar Sao Paolo GP from Brazil May 5th on NBC Sports Network only drew a 0.20 TV rating with 224,000 viewers, down 40% from last year's 0.33 TV rating with 348,000 viewers. The rating in 2010 was a 0.4. So the trend is down, down and down again as the NBC Sports Network noose continues to choke off the lifeblood of the series and the Hulman George family just sit back, collect the big check, and watch it die a slow death.

AR1.com proposed a University connection with the teams as a way to engage the youth of this country and get them excited in the sport. It is so desperately needed but they just don't get it.

Red Bull-Renault

Sebastian Vettel (1st, 1:22.808): "We have some new parts here but the days of big, big upgrades don't really happen now with the regulations how they are. This afternoon was fairly conclusive, but this morning wasn't really much good with the weather. It's hard to say much about the harder tire, I think the number of pit stops will be the same here in this race as at the last few."

Mark Webber (3rd, 1:22.891): "It looks reasonably tight. We couldn't have got more out of it today really, the weather made things a bit tricky, but it was a pretty good day overall. We had a few things to test this morning which we had to move to the afternoon when the weather was better – but it was okay. We still have work to do tonight. It's a nice grand prix to come to – one of the most popular of the year."

Penske Confident Detroit GP Will Not See Repeat Of Last Year's DelaysBelle Isle Grand Prix Chair Roger Penske Wednesday "expressed full confidence" that next month’s Izod IndyCar Series doubleheader "won’t have the same ruptured pockets of dilapidated concrete on the course that spawned a 2-hour delay last year and resulted in running only 60 of the 90 laps," according to Drew Sharp of the DETROIT FREE PRESS. Penske and race organizers spent $2M in "private funds on refurbishing the island road course."

Upgrades include "adding another half mile on the straightaway and widening the turns to improve passing in breaking areas." But the "most noticeable improvement was a cleaner, smoother surface." Penske said, "There was nothing patchwork about what we did. It wasn’t a question of filling holes, but in significant stretches on the course, we pulled up the asphalt and actually recemented those areas."

Niederhauser sets early GP3 pace in BarcelonaSwiss driver Patric Niederhauser took first blood in the opening session at Barcelona with a lap time of 1:35.044 which broke the previous track record by over three seconds. Trident’s David Fumanelli and Jenzer Motorsport’s Alex Fontana finished second and third.

The opening round of the 2013 GP3 Series got underway today at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona with the eagerly anticipated second generation car. Menacing dark clouds hovered over half of the circuit with sunshine looming in the pitlane as free practice begun, signifying the start of the fourth season of the Series.

Marcus Ericsson was unbeatable in today’s qualifying session at Circuit de Catalunya: the Swedish ace put his DAMS car at the top of the standings early in the session. His lap time was bettered in the dying minutes by teammate Stephane Richelmi, but for mere seconds only: Ericsson found extra pace to improve and crossed the finish line in a blazing 1:28.706.

Although ominous dark clouds loomed above the Spanish circuit as the pitlane opened, the track remained dry for the whole session. Series leader Stefano Coletti was quick to claim P1 in 1:29.426, but James Calado went one tenth faster, dropping the Monegasque driver to P2. Ericsson was on a mission and clocked in a lap time of 1:29.095 enough to make him sit pretty at the top. Sam Bird was the first rival to try and snatch pole from the Swede, but he ended up one tenth behind Ericsson. Felipe Nasr was next: the Brazilian’s efforts got him second, a shy 0.05s from P1.

Quicken Loans to sponsor Allmendinger in DetroitTeam Penske today announced AJ Allmendinger will continue to enhance his IZOD IndyCar Series experience as he competes for the team at the upcoming Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans, May 31-June 2.

Allmendinger will drive the No. 2 Quicken Loans Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet at the newly-configured 2.3-mile Raceway at Belle Isle Park street circuit. As Allmendinger continues to get reacquainted to open-wheel racing this season after establishing his NASCAR career the last seven years, the Belle Isle race weekend will provide plenty of opportunity for experience. The event will host the first-ever INDYCAR doubleheader weekend as Allmendinger and the rest of the series drivers will compete in races on both Saturday and Sunday.

Fuzzy's Named "Official Vodka of Pocono Raceway"Pocono Raceway announced today Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka becomes the "Official Vodka of Pocono Raceway." Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka, an existing official partner of the IZOD IndyCar Series, will be served at several location for fans, ages 21 and older, to enjoy at “The Tricky Triangle” this summer.

"We are excited about the partnership with our new friends at Fuzzy's," said Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway President and CEO. "I have shared their vodka with friends and family, all of whom, responsibly, enjoyed the crisp and exceptional taste of Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka."

“Additionally, with Fuzzy’s sponsorship of the Triple Crown Award, it makes the return of the INDYCAR race at Pocono even more meaningful for race fans both past and present.”

Felipe Nasr has set the tone: the Carlin racer is hungry for glory this week at Circuit de Catalunya and he wasted no time in showing his rivals how quick he can be setting up the fastest lap time in this morning’s free practice session in a 1:30.103, seven tenths clear from James Calado who finished second.

The session opened on a drying track with most of the drivers opting to wait before taking to the track. Robin Frijns set the early pace. The rookie’s lap time of 1:31.264 gave the signal for the remainder of the drivers to feed onto the track. Frijns improved on his next attempt to clock in a time of 1:31.010.

Barfield talks about Sato’s semi-blocking tactics in BrazilIndyCar race director Beaux Barfield has spoken out on Takuma Sato’s driving maneuvers during the final laps of Sunday’s Sao Paulo Indy 300, in which the ex-Formula One racer used some borderline moves to repel attempts from Josef Newgarden and James Hinchcliffe to take his lead.

In comments made to The Indianapolis Star, Barfield said that Sato was mostly following the curve of Sao Paulo’s backstretch, where he appeared to move toward the inside to stymie both Newgarden and Hinchcliffe. Race Control reviewed Sato on both counts but opted not to penalize him, and Hinchcliffe managed to get past Sato in the final corner on the last lap to take the win.

Stenhouse happy to play second-fiddle to Danica"I’ve been telling Danica she needs to vote for me," he told a crowd Thursday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “And if her fans want to do it, that’s great, too.”

Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. pose with a fan wearing a male thong (that is just wrong on so many levels) in the Talladega infield.

AP Photo

There Stenhouse goes again, flaunting his romance with one of racing’s biggest celebrities.

If Stenhouse had any hesitation about being in the spotlight for his relationship with NASCAR star Danica Patrick, the Roush Fenway Racing driver isn’t showing it.

The proposed Formula One Grand Prix race in Weehawken will get help from the same man who designed and planned the Meadowlands Grand Prix Indy-style auto race nearly 30 years ago.

Race chairman Leo Hindery said Thursday that the event —originally scheduled to be run next month before being postponed for a year — has brought on Christopher Pook as a special assistant. Pook will consult “with respect to all aspects of construction, planning and execution of the Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial race,” event officials said.

“I’m more than enthusiastic that this event is going to happen,” said Pook, whose career as a racing executive dates back more than 35 years. “When you’ve been around as long as I have been and done as many venues as I have, you can walk into a place and know right away if it’s doable or not. It’s an instinct. And the first time I was shown that course, I said, ‘Holy crap’ – it has some challenges, yes, but it’s still unbelievable.”

Alonso Massa 1-2 for Ferrari in opening practiceOn a track that was wet until the waning minutes, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa were 1-2 in opening practice for the Spanish GP. To underscore how meaningless the times are, Jean-Eric Vergne was third for Toro Rosso, yet Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were only 19th and 2 0th for Red Bull as some drivers did not have enough time to set a fast lap on a rapidly drying track.

It was only coming into the final quarter of an hour that slicks were viable, and even then there were sufficient slippery patches to limit the relevance of the laps that drivers managed.

Ed Carpenter gets itEd Carpenter must read AR1. Scroll down find the Ed podcast, click on bar and let it load, then listen between minutes 12 and 10 and you will hear him support the 2nd race at Indy on the road course and under the lights. And as AR1 has said, Ed feels the lights should be for IndyCar not NASCAR.

Formula 1 Increasing Female Presence In Male-Dominated SportF1, for decades "stuck in a '70s Playboy time warp, is waking up to sexual equality," according to Sathnam Sanghera of the LONDON TIMES. For the first time in the sport's 63-year history, there is a team "with a female principal" -- Sauber's Monisha Kaltenborn. At the Bahrain Grand Prix two weeks ago, Red Bull sent head of trackside electronics Gill Jones "to collect their constructors' trophy." And Williams, one of Britain's most successful F1 outfits, "not only employs" the 30-year-old Susie Wolff as its development driver, but "recently appointed" 36-year-old Claire Williams, daughter of founder Frank Williams, "as deputy team principal."

Wolff said, "Things are definitely changing." She acknowledged that change is coming from a low base, with only five women having entered an F1 race, against more than 800 men, but added, "There is a sense of expectation, and as soon as you get that pressure, things happen." If you are wondering what is (excuse the pun) "driving this belated revolution apart from drivers like Wolff, and the U.S. IndyCar and Nascar driver Danica Patrick," there is a clue to be found behind Wolff's high, starched collar.

Silverstone To Receive $14M Of Lottery To Help Build New Formula 1 Heritage CenterThe Heritage Lottery Fund announced Silverstone, the regular home of the British Grand Prix, is to get £9.1M ($14M) of lottery money "to help create a Formula 1 heritage centre," according to Mark Brown of the London GUARDIAN. The scheme at the Northamptonshire track "is one of six major projects to be given first round support" worth a total of £68M ($104M). The full money "will only be given once more detailed applications are made and are accepted and the HLF has agreed development funding for all six to do that."

The money for Silverstone represents nearly half the estimated £20M ($30M) "that the project is likely to cost." The plans include creating exhibition space, a 200-seat cinema, "which will give people the feeling of being behind the wheel at Silverstone," and a new building for the archive of the British Racing Drivers' Club, to which the public will have access. The scheme "is backed by many motorsport luminaries including Sir Jackie Stewart," who won the British grand prix there in '69 and '71. He welcomed what is a first step in ensuring "the heritage of the site and that of British motorsport can reach a far wider audience than before and cements its importance for future generations." GUARDIAN

NASCAR Talladega TV rating (2nd Update)UPDATE #2 NASCAR Sprint Cup series racing on FOX posted a 4.6/10 with 7.3 million viewers on Sunday afternoon for the Aaron's 499 which was impacted by rain. While that's off -10% from last year's 5.1/12 (8.3 million viewers) it managed to rank as the highest-rated and most-watched event of the day, beating the NBA Playoffs on ABC by +18% (vs. a 3.9/8 for the Pacers and Knicks).

Sunday's rating excludes the rain interrupted portion of the race as it opened with a 4.1/11 (6.4 million viewers) at 1:10p and rose to a 4.4/10 (6.9 million viewers) at 3:15p before the rain delay. The race resumed at 6:54p with a 4.0/8 (6.2 million viewers) which was below the initial tune-in of the telecast, spiked to a 4.7/9 (7.9 million viewers) at 7:30p, and peaked with a 6.0/10 (10.3 million viewers) at 8pm. The 6:54-8:17p portion of Sunday's race averaged a 4.9/9 with 8.1 million viewers, off -14% from last year's 5.7/13 (10.0 million) for the final 75 minutes of the telecast while the rain interrupted portion averaged a 3.6/8 with 5.5 million viewers.

McLaren to continue developing MP4-28 into the summerThey may have made a poor start to the 2013 season, but McLaren are not quite ready to give up on the MP4-28 yet, according to managing director Jonathan Neale.

The team currently stands 6th in the championship after four races, with Jenson Button and Sergio Perez failing to score a podium between them yet. Many expected McLaren to shift its focus to 2014 early on in order to be in the best possible position to challenge for next season’s championship, but Neale has said that this will not be the case.

Denny Hamlin cleared to run full race at DarlingtonAfter running just 24 laps last week at Talladega, Denny Hamlin says he is fully healed and prepared to run the full 500 miles Saturday night at Darlington Raceway.

Hamlin missed four Sprint Cup races and only started the race last week at Talladega after suffering a compression fracture in his lower back in a March 24 crash at Auto Club Speedway.

With his back still not fully healed, he started last week’s race at Talladega and ran until the first caution period, when he climbed out of his car and turned it over to relief driver and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Brian Vickers. Hamlin was credited with the points for the race, but Vickers was caught up in a crash on Lap 43 and finished 34th, earning just 10 points for the race. Hamlin has fallen to 31st in the standings while recovering from his injury.

He tweeted Wednesday, however, that he has been fully cleared by his doctors and plans to run the full race in Saturday’s Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington, a race that he won in 2010.

Formula 1 - No agreement over 2014 F1 test plansFormula 1 teams remain divided on how to plan pre-season testing next year, but have rejected a proposal for extra in-season running. Teams have been edging towards revising the current 12-day limit to pre-season testing as a one-off for 2014, when there will be new engine and car regulations.

Although there is widespread support for an extra test in January, which now looks set to happen, there is split opinion about how the rest of pre-season testing should shape up.

THE MODERATOR: Want to welcome everybody to the first Indy 500 related press conference to the year, and we're excited to have Michael Andretti and Kurt Busch join us. We've had an interesting last couple of weeks as we've tried to put this together and a lot of thank yous go to Kurt and his gang, Michael, the entire Andretti Autosport team has done a great job coming together, Chevrolet, Firestone, a lot of folks over at IndyCar making this happen.

Team owner Michael Andretti poses with his driver-for-a-day Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch breezed through the three speed phases of the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program that all drivers must participate in during an extended session in the Chevrolet-powered No. 1 DHL Andretti Autosport car that reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will drive in practice starting May 11 for the Indy 500 on May 26.

He returned the car to pit lane with nary a smudge as his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew, which flew in for the event, checked out the Dallara chassis (more than half the weight of a Cup car and about 50 mph quicker around the 2.5-mile oval).

Busch has made 12 stock car starts at the Brickyard, with a best finish of fifth in 2001, but nothing compared to this ride. He posted an official top lap speed of 218.210 mph on 83 laps in the rookie program that consists of 10 laps at 200-205 mph, 15 laps at 205-209 mph and 15 laps at 210-plus mph. In addition, INDYCAR officials monitor car control, placement and a consistent driving pattern.

Sponsorship push starting to pay off for Indy SpeedwayIndianapolis Motor Speedway executives say they are beginning to see the results of two years of work developing new categories and pitching new sponsors.

The track, which last week began the annual month of May festivities that culminate with the Indianapolis 500, added more than 20 new sponsors and upsold seven existing sponsors in the first quarter of this year. It generated $3 million in new and incremental revenue from sponsorships and is on track to increase total sponsorship revenue by 9 percent for the second consecutive year.

F1 considering 'demerit point' penalty system (Update)UPDATE (GMM) F1 team bosses have voted to introduce a penalty points system for 2014 that could see drivers banned for repeat offenses.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, and Speed Week, said that during a meeting with Charlie Whiting on Wednesday, the scheme - with drivers allowed to accrue only 12 'demerit points' against their super licenses before a race ban is imposed - survived a vote by 7 to 4.

The proposal will now be taken to the FIA's World Motor Sport Council for approval next month.

The new system would not completely replace the current regime comprising fines, grid penalties and warnings, but stewards will also be able to impose points penalties for on-track infractions.

Lancaster to make GP2 return with HilmerJon Lancaster will make a return to the GP2 Series with new outfit Hilmer Motorsport at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend, taking the place of Pal Varhaug.

The Briton made his most recent GP2 appearance at Sepang last year, while the 2010 Formula Renault 3.5 campaign was his last full term. More recently, the 24-year-old contested Formula MRF in India, finishing fourth in the overall standings.

Lancaster joins Dutchman Robin Frijns at Hilmer for the third round of the campaign, with the latter recently confirming his presence after debuting in Bahrain.

Kurt Busch would like to start seeing drivers attempt The Double again.

Shortly after arriving at Andretti Autosport headquarters in Indianapolis on Wednesday, the 2004 Cup champion wasted no time in urging officials from the NASCAR and IndyCar series to compromise on the Memorial Day weekend start times to make it possible. He says fans want to see it.

Only three drivers have attempted to finish the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day: John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart. Busch has visions of becoming the fourth man to attempt it.

Busch is in town to test Ryan Hunter-Reay's car on Indy's 2.5-mile oval on Thursday. He acknowledged he's excited, nervous and eager to try the faster IndyCars.

Video: Vettel and Coulthard give fresh insight to a lap of the Sochi CircuitSebastian Vettel and David Coulthard drive the Sochi Circuit, giving their insight to a lap of Russia’s new Formula One venue.

Vettel, Infiniti’s Director of Performance, and Coulthard drove much of the track, which is still under construction, in a pair of Infiniti M cars and offered their thoughts and comments ahead of the Krasnodar Krai region’s inaugural Grand Prix in 2014. A short animated sketch sequence completes a lap for Vettel, giving the most complete idea yet of what the new circuit will look like, including the long left-handed turn three that Coulthard dubbed the ‘Infiniti Corner’.

In April, Kia posted a year-on-year sales increase in China of 19.6% (48,482 units sold) along with positive gains in Europe and Kia's home market of Korea with 7.1% (53,058 units sold) and 1.4% (40,554 units sold), respectively. Meanwhile, April sales in general markets* and North America decreased by 4.3% (42,116 units sold) and 0.8% (55,137 units sold), correspondingly. Cumulatively through the first four months of 2013, Kia's global sales have increased by 3.1% year-on-year to reach 832,708 units.

Kenseth crew chief Jason Ratcliff saw his suspension cut from seven weeks (six points races plus the all-star race) to one week, while Kenseth had his points penalty reduced from 50 points to 12 points and will now be allowed to use the Kansas win toward Chase bonus points or a wild-card berth.

Rice & Bell land Indy 500 ridesUPDATE This Robin Miller article from May 4th is updated to confirm that Lazier and Bell have indeed been confirmed with Indy 500 rides and Robin still tells us Rice will be in Sam Schmidt's third car.

05/04/13 Suddenly, the prospect of bumping at the Indianapolis 500 is looking better.

SPEED.com reports that 2004 Indy winner Buddy Rice and veteran Townsend Bell have locked up rides for the May 26th classic.

Rice, who's last Indy start came in 2011 when he qualified seventh for Panther Racing, is lined up to be the third car in Sam Schmidt’s stable, which already includes Simon Pagenaud and rookie Tristan Vautier.

That seat appeared to be Bell’s a couple weeks ago after he secured sponsorship from the DreamWorks' Indy 500-themed movie, Turbo, which will be out this summer.

Penske Racing Roster UpdatesDue to the recent penalties announced by NASCAR regarding the No. 2 and 22 Penske Racing teams, Penske Racing has made the following roster adjustments for the Darlington and Charlotte races. Please see the information below and let me know if you have any questions.

Team Manager: Mike Nelson, currently Vice President of Operations, will fulfill this role.

NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France's total assets topped $554.9M in ‘05, according to court documents released today. His total income in '04 was $9.09M. The financial information was included in approximately 1,500 pages of a divorce case that was made public following a multiyear legal battle between the Charlotte Observer and France, who wanted to keep the divorce under seal. The case went all the way to N.C. Supreme Court, which mandated the file be opened.

Allmendinger gets sound advice entering ROPFour-time Indianapolis 500 Mile Race champion Rick Mears, a Team Penske consultant, has some simple, yet proven, advice for AJ Allmendinger as he participates in the Rookie Orientation Program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

"It's really all about patience. Just take your time and get comfortable in the car taking lap after lap. Don't rush yourself," said Mears, who augmented his victories at the Brickyard with a record six pole starts. "Wait until the car and track comes to you instead of trying to go to it.

The entry adds a fourth winner of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" to the potential starting field, as Lazier joins three-time winners Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves and 2008 winner Scott Dixon.

Lazier Partners' entry was the 34th for this year's race, which will breed competition for the 33 starting spots during Pole Day qualifying Saturday, May 18 and Old National Armed Forces Bump Day qualifying Sunday, May 19.

Abu Dhabi wants F1 testingAbu Dhabi is the latest Persian Gulf circuit interested in hosting Formula One preseason testing next year, looking to take advantage of concerns from teams about the disruptions caused by the cold and wet conditions in Spain.

Richard Cregan, the chief executive officer of Yas Marina Circuit, told The Associated Press on Wednesday he had been approached by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management company about the circuit's availability.

Busch to test IndyCar Thursday2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch will test a Chevrolet-powered Andretti Autosport IZOD IndyCar Series car Thursday morning, May 9, just two days before IMS opens for practice for the 97th Indianapolis 500.

Andretti Autosport team owner and Indianapolis 500 legend Michael Andretti will be on hand to provide driver coaching and assist Busch, who is expected to be on track from approximately 8:30 a.m.-noon. Under the supervision of INDYCAR officials, Busch will go through the speed phases similar to the Rookie Orientation Program in which all drivers must participate to compete in Indianapolis 500 practice and qualifying.

More bumps in road for NJ F1 raceOutside the sleek, modern Port Imperial ferry terminal along the Hudson River in Weehawken, Alisa Gurnari looked across the street at the parking deck that would double as a paddock area for Formula 1 race teams if dreams of the waterfront Grand Prix of America ever come true.

Gurnari, a television make-up artist who lives in Edgewater, said she could envision the three-story garage adorned with the logos of Ferrari, Lotus and other race teams, their pit crews hustling to change tires and refuel low-slung, high-powered racing machines, with the Manhattan skyline rising above it all.

Milwaukee IndyFest will feature two days of exciting race action from the IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Pro Mazda Championship presented by Cooper Tires cars Friday, June 14, and Saturday, June 15, at the Milwaukee Mile. Fans will also have the opportunity to watch Firestone Indy Lights and Pro Mazda Championship test for free on Thursday as an added bonus to this year's IndyFest. In addition to the racing, IndyFest will also include a long list of activities and attractions throughout the two-day festival.

"We're really excited about this year's Milwaukee IndyFest. As we've seen in the first four events, IndyCar racing has been incredibly exciting," said Kevin Healy, managing director of Andretti Sports Marketing. "The Milwaukee Mile always provides great racing for fans and the infield festival this year will take entertainment to a whole new level."

IU Health partners with reigning IndyCar champsIndiana University Health is now the official sports medicine and sports performance provider for Indianapolis-based Andretti Autosport, based on a newly formed partnership between the two organizations.

Through the multi-year agreement, IU Health will provide Andretti Autosport with sports performance coaches to train staff and pit crew on a weekly basis, in coordination with performance race partner PitFit Training, sports medicine specialists to perform in-season injury evaluations and certified athletic trainers who will travel with the championship racing team for select IZOD IndyCar Series events taking place throughout North America, including major racing events in Detroit, Houston and Toronto. IU Health will also provide on-site sports medicine services for Andretti Autosport drivers, including Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, E.J. Viso and reigning IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May.

05/07/13 NASCAR will likely review comments made by Stewart-Haas Racing driver Ryan Newman following a Lap 183 crash in Sunday's rain-marred Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. Any potential fine that could come from the comments likely would be made on Tuesday or Wednesday, per NASCAR's history. Earlier, it was reported that NASCAR would definitely review his comments, but a spokesperson clarified that there are a variety of things that will be reviewed over the course of a race weekend.

Newman finished 32nd after the crash in which Kurt Busch's car barrel-rolled and landed upside down on the hood of the #39 car Newman had in position for a top-10 finish or win with five laps left in regulation as darkness approached. NASCAR fined Denny Hamlin $25,000 earlier this year for perceived negative comments about the new "Gen 6" car and the quality of racing at Phoenix International Raceway. ESPN

Keselowski apologizes to Regan for post race allegationReigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski apologized publicly Tuesday for his Twitter rant following David Ragan's victory at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski accused Ragan on Twitter of getting an unfair advantage by switching to an outside lane before the green-white-checkered restart in Sunday's race. He tweeted it was "blatantly wrong" and that he was "mad as hell about the finish."

As Keselowski later discovered, Ragan was told by NASCAR to switch lanes prior to the restart after the governing body realized there was a mistake in the order. NASCAR also radioed the switch to Keselowski and his spotter, but neither heard it and both were unaware the change was being made until about a half-lap before the restart.

Third annual Mazda Road to Indy Oval Clinic this weekThe Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship Powered by Mazda will return to the track this week with over 35 drivers on deck for a pair of official series tests at the Mid-Ohio and Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Ind. USF2000 will kick off a busy week of activity tomorrow with a two-day outing at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio road course, sharing track time with the Firestone Indy Lights Series. Pro Mazda competitors will take over the circuit on Thursday for a full day of testing. All three levels of the Mazda Road to Indy will be competing at Mid-Ohio in support of the IZOD IndyCar Series on Aug. 3-4.

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